Change-speed gearing for aircraft propellers



' July 31, 1945. o. H. BANKER CHANGE-SPEED GEARING FOR AIRCRAFT PROPELLERS Filed June 14, 1941 5 Sheelts-Sheet 1 July 31, 1 945. 0. H. BANKER CHANGE-SPEED GEARING FOR AIRCRAFT PROPELLERS Fild June 14, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 r 1 %ae2z for Qs'aar 75/ jazzfiez" July 31, 1945. Y o. H. BANKER 1 2,380,390

' CHANGE-SPEED GEARING FOR AIRCRAFT PROPELLERS I Filed June 14, 1941 5 sheets -she et 5 y ,1945. o. H. BA-NKER 2,380,390

CHANGE-SPEED GEARING FOR AIRCRAFT PROPELLERS 'Fileii June 14, 1941 Y 5 She'ets-Shqet '4 rmcicd July a1, 1945 g I 21 8039 1 CHANGE-SPEED GEARINGTQB Oscar-H. hanker, Evanston, Ill.,- assignor to New Products Corporation; Chicago, Iii, a corpora! tion oiDelaware Application 'June '14, 1941, Serial N0. 398,135

1 Claim. (Cl-74468) The general object of this invention is the provision of a change-speed transmission operable through either of two speed reduction gear trains oi which the train of higher ratio possesses sufllcient speed reduction and torque multiplying power to enable a comparatively small engine to operate at an eiiicient speed while driving a fixed and comparatively large pitch propeller at the proper speed, under cruising conditions, for efliciently absorbing the developed engine power,

and oi which power trains the one of lower ratio enables the engine to drive such propeller fast enough for rapid take-oil, climb and acceleration.

'A further object of the present invention is the. provision of a transmission as the above that is sufficiently light in weight and inexpensive to warrant its use upon light aircraft whereby such craft can be practically equipped to obtain good performance under both starting and cruising conditions, approaching that heretofore attainable only with the variable pitch propeller installations which are practical only on the heavier craft because of'thelr weight and cost.

Another object ofthis invention is the provi sion 01 an improved gearing arrangement wherein there are central gears in meshed driving relation with respective pluralities of other gears disposed about their toothed peripheries, to decrease the .tooth load and thus result in a unit which may be made small in comparison to its load capacity.

The invention further contemplates an improved inner skeleton irame possessing'sumcient strength and rigidity forretaining the shaiting and gearing in the proper operating relation, and a lightweight casing for such frame.

4 A further object is the provision oi a changespeed transmission particularly adapted for aircraft use in that it is always conditioned for operation in one of its power'trains to avoid any likelihood of completely losing a driving connecchanging gears.

An additional ob-Ject is the provision of over;

runningjaw clutch means conditionable toautor matically establish the higher ratio train at instant of predetermine'd 'deceleratlon oit I v, gine relatively to thepropeller. 'A further object is theprovisionof a changespeed transmission operable through r tr'ain in its highest speed connectiolnjw employlhi partsv of the lower ratio train .a dampener. Still a furtherobiectis thegprovision offan jn i' I 40 tion between the engine and propeller while,

higher ratio adapting it for use upon the larger craft with variable pitch propellers to enable the engine to more emciently deliver the necessary power for driving the propeller when it is set at high pitch and thecraft is drivenat high cruising speed. v

These and other desirable objects encompassed by and inherent in the invention will become parent from the ensuing description and append ed claim together With-thedrawinss, wher in;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly v tion of a transmission constructed ac'co "the principles 0! the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a composite sectional view-19'; which equa-angular sectors are taken r'especti sly upon the. three planes indicated by the l in Fig. l; l I v Fig.- 3 is a perspective view .01 skeletons-like bearing frame comprising appl {of a'pparatus shown inFigsnl' and 2; jj"

Fig. 4-is a sectional view 11M 4-4 of Fig. 1. illustrating vinstill;-

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vi ew 'taken on Fi 6 is a side elevations! yiew na yia v invention;

1-1 oiFig.6; Fig. 8 is a iragxnentary sectional ,qgi ew illusm th 0 Hrs-- wgoh r wlm running ia' clutch,

the overspeed 'respons means for alctu a Each r, m ma mem employs two speeid-raductlpag ar trains or. airferent ratimfthe ratio n each being such hat the Mile shaft exceedsjthat or the driven shalt .conn

lishment' or pnopeller shait. 'Ll'hern i'no direct drivegcon'' neetion or power traiathrough which the prolie sha i.twould begaysed to rotate at the "as the drive ,shaitand ineach 0! these r' ratio power trainis overin char whereby, as later ex- -plained,*the .c, it en ine and-the 'ected therewith can be decelthe propellerand the propeller no therewith t enable; the estab theiiigher ratio train by brintlnl the counterparts' oi an over-running Jaw clutch into.

syn tor. meshing. the lower ratio'train remaini g mobilized duringcperation oi established maliciratio train.

'i vinczcn-mc now tonic Figs; 1, 2. f3 and c first proved change-speed transmission "capable 'ot' ,.embodiment willbe seen enclosed'fin scaring I. .larse power transmitting gcapacity through "5 5. preferably oianaluminum alloy'or other nit- Surfaces 45 upon the back ends members as 32 are adapted to rest upon the inable light materiaL' open at its back end where there is a circumferential flange II which together with bolts l2 therein serve to connect the casing with an engine of. which apart is shown at l3. An engine crankshaft l4 serves as the drive shaft for the apparatus, said shaft being arranged co-axially with a hollow propeller shaft l5 and an intermediate shaft IS. The back end of the intermediate shaft is journalled in the for-i ward and of the shaft l4 by-means of a ball bear-p ing unit I! and the forward end of. said intermediate shaft is iournalled in the back end of the propeller shaft l-5 'by meansflof a ball hearing unit It.

Three hollow countershafts I9, and 2| are carried within a frame 22 which is shown in perspective in Fig; 3. This frame 221s preferably a unitary casting of steel or other suitably rigid and strong metal. It comprises a circular back plate 23 containing a central, opening 24 and three openings as 25 and 25 spaced radially from the central opening and arranged equaangularly thereabout. .These openingsas 25 and 28 are for receiving the back ends of the countershafts as' IS, the opening, 25 receiving said countershafts as l9 as illustrated in Fig. 1. A'.mul-

' tiple opening head 21 of the frame 22 includes a central opening 28 and three openings 23, 3 0

. and 3i of which the opening 28' iscoaxial with the opening 24 in the plate23 and of which the openings 29 30 and 3| are respectively coaxial 'with the three openings as 25, and- 26 in said plate. Thus the openings as 29 are adapted to cooperate with their respectively paired openings as 25 in supporting the hollow countershafts as l9. There are three. transversely profiled spanning members 32, 33 and 34 interconnecting the multiple-opening head 21 and the disk 23.- Each of the spanning members as 32 is substantially channel-shaped inasmuch as. it includes a longitudinal web portion 38 flanked by flanges 31 and 38. The spanning members are further strength of an annular flange 44 projecting radially in- A'rcuate seatingwardly from the casing wall.

of the spanning ner periphery of the flange 44 to cooperate with the circular wall portion ii and the opening 42 in the flange 43 to hold the frame openings 24 and 28 in coaxial alignment with the shafts l4 and IS. A plurality of openings 46 are formed in the marginal edge' portion of the disk 23 for aligning with corresponding openings in the easing fiange 44 and receiving therewith bolts 46a for retaining the-frame 22 in assembly with the casing.

The propeller shaft I5 is journalled at the forward end 'of its root portionyin a ball bearing unit 41 which is mounted in the front end of the casing III. A back end portion of said propeller shaft is journalled upon a-set of roller bearings 40 for which an inner peripheral section .49 within the frame member 22 effects an outer race. A gear 50 formed integrall with the back end of the propeller shaft constantly meshes with the gears GI which are the foremost gears respecshafts i9, 20 and 2| by means of needle bearing sets 51 and 52.' There is ample room between the flanges Hand of the frame spanning members 32,33 and 34 for these gear-clusters as will be seen in Fig. 2. 'The three gears 62 mesh with a gear 53 upon the intermediate shaft '16 whereas the gears G3 mesh with a gear 54 upon the back end of a sleeve shaft 55. which is iournalled upon said shaft is by sets of needle bearings 58 and 31. 1

One counterpart 38 of a jaw clutch 59 has its hub portion splined at 60 to the sleeve shaft 55, said'hub portion having. associated therewith a circumferential groove ii for receiving. the studs- 82 of a shifter fork'63 of which the hub 64 is pivoted upona cross-shaft 65 journalled withi'n suitable bearings-B upon the back side of the frame plate 23 and within a bearing C in the casing side wall. A driving toothed counterpart- 66 of thejaw'clutch 59 is integral with a driving ring 61 of anoverrunning clutch generally designated 68. In addition to the rings! the overrunning clutch comprises the conventional rollers 69, of which one is shown in Fig. l, spaced circumferentially about the inner periphery of the ring 51 andan actuator member 10 of which the hub H is. splined at 12 to the intermediate shaft I6. Said actuator member 10 is so designed as to cause the rollers 69 to wedge against the inner periphery of the ring 61- for causing said ring to transmit rotative driving force through the rollers to said actuating member when the ring is rotated counter-clockwise as viewed from the front, said actuator member, however, permitting the rollers 69 to terminate this wedged condition when said actuator member tends'to rotate clockwise relatively to the ring. A cage 13 for the clutch rollers 63 comprises an end plate l4'which is constantly urged counterclockwise by a spring 15 which has one end fixed to the hub 1i and its opposite end 16 hooked over a tongue 11 projecting inwardly from the end plate 14. Counter-clockwise rotation of the ring 14 is limited by a boss 18 projecting backwardly from the actuator member Ill. The function of the spring in this action upon the cage 13 is to urge the rollers 69 toward the position for wedging between the members 61 and I0, wherefore the drive will be taken up immediately without slipping when rotative forces are applied tend-- ing to'rotate the ring 61 counter-clockwise as aforesaid relatively to the actuator member III.

The 'ring 51 is fixed to the drive shaft or engine crankshaft H by a plurality of bolts 19.

The transmission will be conditioned for driving the propeller shaft l5 from-the drive shaft l4 through the first or low ratio power train when the clutch 59 is disengaged as shown in Fig. 1. Disengagement offthe clutch 59 is brought about by rotating the-cross shaft 65 and hence the shifter fork G3 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, to the position thereshown. Such'rotation of the shaft 65 is effected from the pilot's compartment by manipulating a linkage (not shown) connected with an arm 80. Fig. 4, which is fixed upon said shaft. A spring S wrapped about the shaft 65 and having one end hooked about a pin in the shaft and its opposite end abutting against a stud II on the lhifter fork the aforesaid clockwise is operable to transmit movement from the shaft to the shifter fork. Another spring S withan end hooked about the opposite side'of the pin P and with its opposite end engaging the stud 8| is operable to transv.

'mit counter-clockwise rotation from the shaft to the shifter fork. Each spring 8 and S is-adapted to be wound'up by the shaft 55 when the shifter fork encounters resistance to rotation, and to unwind incident to rotating said fork when the resistance ceases. A spring detent device D is cooperable with circumferentially spaced notches N in an arm A fixed-for rotation with the shaft 55, to prevent accidental displacement of the shaft from either of its oscillative limits.

. and power will then be transmittable from the With the apparatus conditioned as shown in Fig. 1, and with the engine idling, the shaft I4 will be driven by said engine and the propeller shaft will be driven at a somewhat slower idling speed through the-first speed power train. This power train includes the overrunning clutch '88, the intermediate shaft I'5'to which the clutch actuator member Hlis splined at I2, gear 53, countershaft gears G2 meshed with said gear 53, countershaft gears GI which rotate with the gears G2, gear 50 which is meshed with the gears GI, and the propeller shaft I5 which roftates with the'gear 50. In view of the relative diameters of the gears 53and G2 and of the-gears I GI and 50 the shaft I 5 will be driven more slowly than the shaft I4. This speed reduction is sufcient to enable the engine to rotate at a relatively great speed so that it can' develop a correspondingly'greateramount of power during take-off.

The craft will be driven through the low'speed train during take-off and climb, and after the desired altitude has been attained the operator may shift into the higher ratio second speed train byclosing which is connectedwith the propeller shaft I5 through the first speed train will not decelerate the engine throttle whereby the crank-' shaft or, transmission drive shaft l4 will decelerate asrapidly as the clutch ring 61. Neither will the f driven counterpart 58 of the jaw clutch 59 decelerate as rapidly-as the clutch ring 61 since this counterpart is connected through the-sleeve shaft 55 and the gears 54 and G2 with the propeller shaft. During operation of the first speed train, due to the pitch ratio of the gears 53 and G2 relative to that of thegears 54 and G3, the gear 54 and hence the clutch counterpart 58 are rotated more slowly than the clutch counterpart 8 6 which is connected-directly with the drive shaft I4,

Consequently as the drive'shaft I4 decelerates as 1 an incident to changing power trains, the clutch driving'part 55 will eventually slow down to synchronism with the drivencounterpart 58. Prior to causing such deceleratiomhowever, the oper-' I ator will have actuated the aforesaid control linkage for the cross shaft 55 to have rotated this shaft counter clockwise, as cause the spring 8 to be wound up incident to urging thelshifter fork counter-clockwise and the clutch counterpart 58 axially into ratcheting relation with the counterpart 55, wherefore the clutch teeth will be meshed the instant of synchroni'sm. The bevelled faces 2! upon the opposed ends of these clutch teeth facilitate this ratcheting. When the counterparts 58 and 55 become thus meshed the second speed power train willbe established viewed in Fig. 1-, to

drive shaft I4 through'the jaw clutch 59, the Y sleeve shaft 55, gear 54, gears G3, gears GI, gear 55 and the propeller shaft I5. Since the gear 54 is of greater diameter than the gear 53 and the gears G3 are of less diameter than the gears G2, the gear-clusters GA, GB and GC will be rotated at greater speed for a given engine speed through the gear 54 than through the gear 53 so that less speed reduction is incurred through the second speed connection. During operation of the second speed power train the gears G2 will cause the gear 53 to rotate at greater speed than the gear 54 wherefore the intermediate shaft I6 and the overrunning clutch actuator member III will be rotated at an overspeed with respect to the clutch ring 51 as permitted by the overrunning clutch rollers 69 in the a manner aforesaid. This fast spinning of the gear 53, the shaft I 6 and the actuator member 10 causes these parts to serve as a 'dampener of vibrations that may develop in the higher ratio train at certain operating speeds.

' The use of gears in the second speed power train, in contradistinction to a direct'drive con-. j

nection, makes it possible to design this train for adapting an engine to operate within its most economical speed range by providing the proper speed reduction to enable it to drive the propeller within its most efficient speed range under cruisnever disconnected from the engine since one or the other of the power trains will always be conditioned for transmitting power between the shafts I4 and I5.

There is the further advantage in this transmission that the multiple countershaft gearing arrangement increases'the number of gear teeth through which the driving force is transmitted, thereby combining into a'single unit of relatively small dimensions a power transmission organiza-' tion capable of carrying great load.

Furthermore, since each of the power trains includes gears, the apparatus is adaptable for obtaining a desired speed ratio in either ofthe two trains, which flexibility is not available when one of the power trains is a direct drive connectionwherein a one-to-one speed ratio is obtained between the drive and driven shafts.

Additional advantages are incurred through the designand arrangement of parts for minimizing weight, particularly in the design of the frame member 22 of which the transversely profiled spanning members as 32 are so shaped i that they will result in said, frame member being rigid although its elements arerelatively thin; Both the circumferential and radial extent of theflange and web portions of said members as 52 enable these members to brace the frame against twisting and to secure the disk 23 and 'the apertured head 21 against relative axial or;

radial displacement. This inner frame 22, in; herently light inweight because of its' design, provides adequate support for the shafts mounted therein so that the casing I0 will be relieved of this function-and can therefore be made comparatively thin and of a material characterized by lightness rather than strength. i

That form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 is also a two-speed structure in which speed reduction is provided between drive and driven shafts, but wherein a planetary gear unit is employed instead of multiple countershaft gearing.

This form of the invention includes a gear casing I attachable to an end of an engine (not shown) by means of a flange IOI about its open back end. A drive shaft I02 for this transmission may constitute a part of the engine crankshaft. The forward end of the shaft I02 contains a ball bearing unit I03 in which the back end of an intermediate shaft I04 is piloted. The forward end of the intermediate shaft I04 rides upon needle bearings I05 which roll about the cylindrical wall I06 of a recess in the back end of a hollow propeller shaft I01. The shafts I02, I04

and I01 will be seen to be coaxial and relatively rotatable. Said propeller shaft is rotatively carried in a ball bearing unit I08 mounted in the front wall of the casing.

The propeller shaft I01 is drivingly connected with and in the present instance is integral with the forward end plate I09 of a planetary gear carrier IIO. This carrier also includes a back 5 end plate, I I I. of which a hub portion H2 is rotatively supported in a ball bearing unit II3. Thus the planet gear carrier is freely rotatable in the ball bearing units I08 and H3, of which the latter is in turn supported within a central opening H4 in a disk-like plate II5 of which the circular edge II6 rests upon a shoulder II1 circumscribing the inner periphery of the casing. The disk-like member II5 as well as a ring II8, which is in threaded engagement at III! with a circular threaded portion of the casing,

are made of steel in contradistinction to the lighter material as an aluminum alloy of wh ich the casing is made. A plurality of bolts I clutch I36 is controlled by a shifter fork I43 having studs I44 disposediwithin a groove I45 circumscribing the counterpart I3I. A manually operable cross shaft I46 journalled in the casing 100 has the hub I41 of the shifter fork pivotally mounted thereon and an arrangement as that illustrated in Fig. 4 may be employed for rotatserve to connect the disk II5 with the ring II8 whereby these parts reinforce the casing'in its support of the transmission gearing and shaft- The planet gear carrier IIO has a plurality of shafts I20 a anchored in and extending between its end plates I09 and III,-these shafts being spaced circumferentially about the carrier in the usual manner. Each of these shafts I20a upon needle bearings I22 and I23 and each gearcluster I2I comprises a small diameter gear I24 and a large diameter gear I25 of which the latter mesh with a ring gear I26 fixed to the casing.

The planet gears I25. also mesh with a sun.

gear I21 fixed upon the intermediate shaft I 04 whereas. the planet gears I 24 mesh with a sun gear I28 integral with a sleeve shaft I29 rotatively carried upon needle bearings:l30 in the hub II 2 of the planet gear carrier. There is 4 has a planet gear-cluster I2I journalled thereon splined to the back end of the sleeve shaft I 29' ing said fork. When the clutch I36 is disengaged the first or low speed power train will be conditioned for operation, the drive being from the shaft I02 through the overrunnin clutch I38, splined connection I42, intermediate shaft I04, sun gear I21, planet gears I25 which are then caused to roll about the toothed periphery of the ring gear I26, planet carrier III] which is rotated by the revolving planet gears I25, and the propeller shaft I01 which is rotatable with the carrier. While the first speed train is in operation the planet gears I 24 will be rotating at the'same speed as the planet gears I25 and will be revolved therewith, but since the gears I24 are of less diameter than the gears I25 their toothed peripheral speed is less than that of the gears I25 wherefore the gear I20, though caused to rotate in the same direction in which the planet carrier rotates, will be caused to rotate at less speed than the sun gear I21. Consequently the jaw clutch counterpart I3I connected with the sun gear I28 will be caused to rotate at less speed than the counterpart I34 which is connected with the sun gear I21 and with the drive shaft I02.

A shift from the first speed to the second speed train is executed, when it is desired to drive the craft under cruising conditions, by closing the engine throttle and thus causing the drive shaft I02 and the clutch counterpart I 34 to slow down relatively to the overrunning clutch actuator I41 and the clutch driven counterpart I3 I, as permitted by the clutch rollers I39, since said parts I and II will then be caused to continue rotation according'to the speed of the propeller with which they are connected, the latter decelerating less than the engine with which the shaft I 02 is connected. Meanwhile the operator will have operated the shifter fork control to place the clutch counterparts in ratcheting relation so that when the shaft I02 slows down sufllciently for the clutch counterpart I34 to synchronize with the counterpart I3I, the spring (not shown but corresponding to the spring S in Fig. 4) will mesh the teeth of these counterparts and thereby establish the second speed power train. Such ratcheting is facilitated by the bevelled end faces F on the ends of the clutch teeth as illustrated in Fig. 7. Upon establishment of the second speed train the drive will be from the shaft I02 through said clutch I36, sleeve shaft I 23 to which the counterpart I3I is splined, gears I26 and I24, gears I25 which are driven with th gears I24 and thus caused to revolve about and within th ring gear I26, the planet carrier IIO which is caused to rotate with the revolving gears I25, and the propeller shaft I01. Because of the ratio ofthe gears I28 and I24 and of the gears I25 and I21, less speed reduction is obtained through this second power train than through the first speed train. However, as in the first embodiment the first speed sun gear I21, the intermediate shaft I04 and the actuator member I4 I, due to their high speed of rotation and inertia, serve as a vibration damp- I ener during second speed operation.

A shift back into the first speed train can be executed at will by manually rotating the shifter for]: I43 to disengage the clutch I36.

I have shown in Fig. 8 a speed responsive mechanism incorporated into the second modification structure for effecting the shift into the second speed train automatically upon the deceleration of the engine subsequent to the attainin of a speed at which this apparatus becomes effective. In adapting the transmission for the attachment 'of this speed responsive mechanism, the overrun.- ning clutch ring I31 is provided with a backwardly directed peripheral flange portion IIla on which there are a plurality of sets of paired ears I5Ia '(one being shown in Fig. 8) of which each pair receives therebetween the hub I52 ofacentrifugal weight I53, pivot pins I54 being anchored in each pair of ears I5Ia for pivotally supporting the weights I53. Heel portions I55 upon each of the weights I53 are adapted to abut against the flange I50ato limit outward movement of the weights under their centrifugal force. A clutch counterpart'l34' corresponding to the counterpart I34 and having internal teeth I33 corresponding to the teeth I33 is splined at I56 upon the ring I31'whereby the counterpart I34" can be slid forwardly for meshing its teeth with the teeth I32. Said counterpart I34 has a flanged ring I51 slidably mounted thereon, and a radial l flange I58 which reacts against one end of a helical spring I59 of which the opposite end is reacted upon by the ring I51.

A plurality of bolts I60 anchored to the flanged.

portion of the drive shaft I02 project forwardly through suitable apertures in the ring I51, and the forward ends of these bolts I60 are provided with nuts I6l for confining helical springs I62 therebetween and the ring I51. It is these springs I62 that provide the principal resistance to the outward throw of the inertia weights I53 by centrifugal action while studs I 63 upon these weights to synchronism with the clutch counterpart I 3| whereupon the compressed spring I59 will slide the teeth I33 into mesh with the teeth I32,

establishing the higher ratio train.

Reestablishment of the first speed train is effected by slowing down the engine until the springs I52 overcome the centrifugal force of'the weights I53 and pressthe ring I51 backwardly against a snap ring I64 and to continue the backward movement thereof to then slide the counterpart I34 backwardly for demeshing the teeth urge the ring member I51 forwardly to compress said springs.

A centrifugal mechanism of this kind is fully shown and described in my United States Patent No. 2,170,649, issued August 22, 1939. i

In the operation of the device, assuming the transmission to be connected in the first speed train, after the engine has attained a predetermined speed, the weights I53 will compress the springs I62 to move the clutch counterpart I34 forwardly .to' place the teeth I33- in ratcheting relation with the teeth I32, the movement of the ring I51 being far nough forwardly to place the spring I59 under sufficient compression to force the teeth I33 into mesh with the teeth I32 when the counterparts synchronize. While the ratcheting condition prevails the operator may effect the shift into the high ratio train by closing-[the engine. throttle and thus causing the drive shaft- I02 and the clutch counterpart I34 to slow down I 33' and I32.

The embodiments herein disclosed are illustrative only, it being understood that other modifications and changes-in details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' Iclaim:

In change-speed apparatus for drivingly'connecting the engine of an engine-driven craft with a propeller for such craft, a casing, a propeller shaft, a drive shaft and an intermediate shaft all in coaxial relation, a plurality of countershafts spaced radially from and circumferentially about said coaxial shafts and fixed in said casing to prevent revolving movement of such counter shafts about the coaxial shafts, a free-wheeling gear train disposed between the engine and propeller shafts and of a, speed reduction ratio adapting it for driving the propeller shaft under take-off conditions, saidfree-wheeling train comprising a gear fixed for rotation coaxially with thepropeller shaft, a firstv set of countershaft gears respectively 'upon and rotatable with the countershafts and meshed with the propeller shaft gear, a gear fixed for rotation with the intermediate shaft, a second set of countershaft axially of the coaxial shafts'and a third set of countershaft gears respectively fixed for rotation with the countershafts and meshed with the last named gear, and disengageable overrunningjaw' clutch means engageable to connect said last named gear for rotation with the drive shaft,

means actuatable to yieldably urge said clutch' into engagement, and control means alternately operable at will to actuate said urging means and to disengage the clutch.

OSCAR H. BANKER. 

